I think the Lakers team this year has proved how much defense is about team effort rather than individuals. After all they have Dwight (Defensive player of the year couple of times), Kobe (several NBA all defensive team selections), and Ron Artest (defensive specialist) in starting lineup and Pau aint that bad defender either. Still they let Orlando score 113 on them and lose.

And Orlando was playing hack-Dwight in fourth. Dwight shot 40% of FT's. Why not with Pau instead? Its not like there was a big Center Pau couldnt defend on Orlando. Even if you want to gun three pointers, you cant do that when opposition is fouling your center all the time.

They are slow. Kobe and Metta are a few notches below what they once were defensively. The Lakers have been weakening defensively for some time now. I think your point still stands though, in that Dwight as an individual was supposed to shore up their defense on his own. It doesn't work that way.

They are slow. Kobe and Metta are a few notches below what they once were defensively. The Lakers have been weakening defensively for some time now. I think your point still stands though, in that Dwight as an individual was supposed to shore up their defense on his own. It doesn't work that way.

he did for orlando with the rest of their lineup... he should definitely be able to do it with former top notch defensive specialists on the wings and a star pf who is also a great defender by his side

Ryan Anderson is the No. 1 target of the Los Angeles Lakers if they decide to trade Pau Gasol, an NBA source tells SheridanHoops.com. But there are complications, and they begin in the Lakers front office. General manager Mitch Kupchak is opposed to moving Gasol, who has been benched in several fourth quarters ever since Mike D’Antoni took over as head coach. SheridanHoops

Thanks for this. Odom too but to a lesser extent. I thought down of Jackson thinking it's easy to win with a stacked team. I have praise for him now. Dantoni is a joke

d'antoni needs spot up shooters badly for his offense to work, and for howard to flourish down low. it's how stoudemire padded all-star statistics in phoenix and how chandler was an absolute offensive rebounding putback beast during mike's tenure in NY. d'antoni makes big men dominate down low without the trouble of double teams, and in this increasing culture of going small-ball, a unstoppable howard in a stretch offense would give other teams serious problems down low. plus gasol coming off the bench give almost makes the offense continuous.

it's an interesting experiment to counter small ball teams and teams who do not have quality big men coming off the bench who can stop gasol once healthy.